wlp655 Belgian sour mix

[je52rm]

I'm new to making sour beers and recently made my first batch. I used 60% pilsen and 40% wheat. Going for a lambic if possible. I pitched two vials of wlp655 into primary (used two because they were close to expiration date) and it took over a day until I seen any activity. Is that normal to have a lag time like that with this type yeast/bacteria? Also the first 2-3 days the fermentation activity smelled very sulpher-ish (like a bag of farts hahahaha). Is that also normal for this strain? It has since started to smell better and more like a normal ale fermentation. Almost a bit fruity. Thanks for any help.

Also any recomendations on how long I should let this go in primary before racking to secondary for long term aging?

 

[PJoyce85]

That lag time is about normal for blends of yeast and bacteria. Those blends have an intentionally low yeast count to give the bacteria a chance to start on the sugars before the yeast take over and eat all of the fermentables. I have never used that particular mix, but the production of sulfur can happen and will usually dissipate. You shouldn't have much to worry about because of the amount of time it will sit in a fermenter. As far as time goes, you could safely assume that the beer will sit in primary for a few months. If you are going with a straight Lambic, you could probably transfer around 4-6 months and then let it age.